Automobile top



F. B. ALMY.

AUTOMOBILE 10P.

APPUCATION FILED ^PR.`3. 1920. 1,403,664 I Patented Jan. 17, 1922,

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lnvenror. Ferdinand B. A\my www@ Anya UNTEE STATES PATENT @THC-lil.

FERDINAND B. ALMY, OF BIELRCSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMOBILE TOP.

Application filed April 3,

T all fui/wm t may' concern:

Be it lrnown that I, FERDINAND B. Amir, a citizen of the United States, residing Melrose, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automobile Tops, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representin, like parts.

This invention relates to automobile tops of the foldinO or canopy type, and has for its principal object to provide improved glass sides for the automobile top which can be readily put in place or removed, and which when in place give the car an appearance quite similar to that of a closed car, and produce a top which is as comfortable for the occupants as an ordinary closed car.

Another object of the. invention is to provide improved glass sides for a folding` automobile top which can be quickly put in place or removed, and which can be applied to the automobile without making any al tere-.tions in either the body or in the can opytop.

In order to give an understanding of my invention, l' have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims. Y

ln the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of an automobile embodying myY invention;

Fig'. 2 is a section on the line 2*-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an inside view of the door with the gir-.ss window attached thereto;

Fig. 4L- is an enlarged section on the line ll-Lh Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5 5, Fig'. 1;

Figi'. 6 is an enlarged section on the line (3 6, Fig'. 1.

ln thc drawings, 1 indicates an autoniebilc of the touring car variety, it having front and rear doors 9 and 10 and also having the usual foldingor canopy top which is provided with bows, two of which at the rear port-ion are indicated at 3 and 4. These bows 3 and 4L have the usual bow arms 5 and 6 which are pivoted on a stud 7 extending laterally from the automobole body 1. YIn the top herein shown, the rear portion 8 thereof extends around the side of the automobile l to the rear bow arm 5, this Specification of Letters Patent. v Patntgd Jan, 1'- fj2g 1920. Serial No. 371,108.

being a common expedient in the construction of canopy tops for automobiles.

The parts thus far described are or may be all as usual in automobiles having canopy tops and form no part of my present invention, which relates to a novel construction of glass sides for the automobile top to take the place of the usual curtains.

ln accordance with my invention l provide a pair of glass panels or sashes which can be readily secured to the bow arms and 6 for filling the space between the rear door and the rear portion .8 of the top, a sash adapted to be secured to each door for filling the space directly above the door, and other sashes which are constructed to fill the space between the door sashes. All of these 'sashes are separate from each other and may be installed separately, or they may be all installed, thus making a closed car. Further, each sash can be secured in position without making any change in the oar structure and without marring or injuring the car in any way.

The window sash which is situated at the rear of the rear door 1() is indicated at 11 and it will have an appropriate shape to fill the space at the side from the rearedge of the door 10 to the rear portion 8 of the top. In the construction shown where the rear portion 8 of the top comes forwardly to the bow arm 5, the window sash 1 1 will have the rear side 12 thereof inclined to correspond to the inclination ot the bow arm 5. This window sash l1 is situated .inside ofthe bow arms 5, 6, and the lower of the automobile body and the lower ends l of the bow arms 5 and 6. I will preferably place a strip 14 of felt or other similar material bet-weon the lower rail of the window sash and the automobile body to prevent the latter' from becoming scratched or injured.

The stud 7 is usually shouldered, as indicated in Fig. 6, and the bow arms are held in place thereon by a cap nut 15 which screws up against the shoulder. The thickness of the lower rail 13 of the sash is such that when it is introduced between the bow arms and the automobile body l, the tightening'of the ca nut 15 will cause the sash to be firmly c amped between the bow arms and the automobile body before the cap nut.

engages the shoulder of the stud 7. When the window sash is in place, it will be firmly and rigidlyheldto the automobile body by the cap nut 15.`

The upper rail 16 of the window sash 11 is situated just' above and within the lower edge 17 oi? the canopy top, and it lies against the bow arms 5 an d G. The upperI end of the window sash isrigidly clamped to the bow arms by some suitable clamping device. A simple device is shown in Fig. 5 and com prises a hook-shaped element 1S which embraces the bow arm and has a screw-threaded shank 19 extending through the upper rail of the window si sh, said shank having a clampingr nut 2O thereon by which the sash is clamped to the bow arm. lilith the above construction eachrear window sash 11 will be firmly and rigidly clamped in position in such a way that there will be ne rattling noise developed because oi? loose parts.

Further, the application ot" the window sash to the automobile top Arequires no change or alteration in the top and involves merely removing or loosening the cap nut 15 suili ciently to permit the lower rail of the window sash to be inserted between the side of the automobile and the lower end oi the Vbow arms. The tightening' o't the cap nut directly above each oi the doorsI 9 and 10.`

Each of these window sashes is indicated generally at 21. and 'each window sash 2l. is detaohably but firmly secured to one of' the doors. For this purpose. each window sash 21 is provided with two clamping' members which are adapted to be clamped to the up per edge of the door. Each clampingl member comprises a strip oi? inetal 22 bent to the shape shown, in Fig. l, that is, one end of the metal strip is secured to the window sash by a suitable bolt 23, and then bent outwardly therefrom, as alrQf-l@r and then bent downwarrflly and back on itself to l'orni the finger or projection '25. The strip then bent laterally at QG and upwardly at 2i' to over-lie the inner lace ol'v the sash 2l. The portion QTis secured to the window sash by a clamping' bolt The length ol" the portion QG is slightly less than the thickness of the door. v

The window sash is secured in place by placing the lower rail 29 thereof on the outside of the door at the top with the lingers 25 on the inside of the door so that the upper edge of the door is clamped between the lower rail 29 and the lingers 25. A suitable piece of felt or packing material 30 will preferably be employed between the window sash andthe outside ot the door to prevent `marring the automobile paint.

After the window is in place the clampingl bolt 28 is tightened and because the portion 26 is slightlyrless than the thickness ol:x the door, such tightening will lirmly clamp the door between the lower rail 29 and the fingers 25, thus firmly and rigidly holding the window sash in place.

In order to provide a iirm support ior ythe upper edge oileach sash 21 when the -method would be to provide the bracket with an aperture to lit over the pivot bolt which is usedrfor pivoting the upper section o1 the wind shield and to employ the usual clamping nut 37 tor holding` the bracket on this pivot bolt. This Stringer 31 is so situated thatY when 'the doors are closed the upper `ends ot the sashes 21 will lie against the outer face thereof, as shown in Fig. 4;. This stringermay conveniently be provided on its outer face with a strip or 'telt to prevent any rattling; noise.

The space between the door sashes 21 en each side will preferably be lilled with a sash panel 84 which may be attacheajl at its upper end to the Stringer 31 by means of bolts and at its lower end may be attached to the automobile body by the usual tasten ers 35 by which the lower edge oli `the curtain is fastened.

For filling the space between the iront edge oit the 'front door sash and the wind shield, I may if desired provide a special sash 36V which is shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, and which will Vbeappropriately shaped for this purpose. The upper edge oit this sash will resta gainst and may be secured to the Stringer 31, and the lower edge oif the sash will be held in place by clamping iingers Q2 similar to those used on the door sashes.y such f 'lampinnf members 'hitting over the edge of, the body directly in ilront ol'v the door. It desired also this sash 3G may be constructed to be attached to the wind shield post.

One oilithe advantages resulting' `from my construction lis that it can be applied to any automobile having a canopy top without making any change or alteration in the automobile 0r in the top. Y

Another advantage is that since there is an independent sashl foreach doorandanother separatesash for the space in the rear of the rear door, it is possibleto equip the car with one or more of the sashes, depending on the degree of protection desired by the occupants. Under some circumstances it may be sufficient to have the window sash l1 only in place. Under other Circumstances, one or more of the window sashes 2l may be desirable, but any one of the window sashes can be put in place just about as quickly as an ordinary side Curtain can be attached.

Vhile I have illustrated herein a selected embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the oonstruotional details shown.

I Claim:

l. In an automobile having a body provided with a door` and a folding' top, the latter having the usual bow arms, the Combination with said top, of a window sash situated entirely inside o the bow arms, and extending from the rear of the top to the door, the lower edge of said sash being situated between the body and the bow arms and being rigidly damped to the body by the bow arms, and means to Connect the upper edge of said sash rigidly to the bow arms.

2. In an automobile, the combination with a body having doors and a stud projecting from each side in the rear of the doors, of a folding top having the usual bow arms pivotally mounted on said studs, a window sash situated inside of the bow arms on eaeh side and extending from the door to the rear of the top, the lower edge of each sash resting on the stud and situated between the bow arms and the side of the automobile, a clamping nut on each stud by which the sash is clamped between the bow arms and the side of the automobile body, and means to clamp the upper edge of each sash rigidly to the bow arms.

3. In an automobile, the combination with a body having doors and a folding top, oic a window sash for eaeh door, each sash having its lower edge overlying` the outside of the upper portion of the door, resilient clamping arms secured tothe inside of each sash and engaging the inside ot the door, and means to draw the arms or" each sash toward the door whereby the door is clamped between the lower edge oit the sash andthe arms and said sash is thereby firmly se cured to the door,

4. In an automobile, the Combination with a body having doors and a folding toppro vided with bows, said body having studs extending therefrom to which the bows are pivoted, a nut on each stud to retain the bows thereon, a window sash at each side of the automobile situated inside of the bows and resting'on said studs, the lower edges of said sashes being clamped between the bow arms and the automobile body by said nut, means Connecting the upper edge ot each sash to the bows, a stringer connected at its rear end to the upper end of each sash and at its upper end to the windshield post, and window sashes iriotionally clamped to vthe upper edge of each door and movable therewith, the upper enges ot said sashes engaging said stringers when the doors are closed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speoiiioation.

FERDINAND B. AL'MY. 

